Tear strip remover for cans



Feb. 14, 1956 M. F. cARLsoN ET AL 2,734,655

TEAR STRIP REMOVER FOR CANS Filed April 20, 1954 Maurice E Car/son Catharine S. Car/son IN VEN 'IORS,

aalpuwy 3% United States Patent TEAR STRIP REMOVER FOR CANS Maurice F. Carlson and Catharine S. Carlson, Dearborn, Mich.

Application April 20, 1954, Serial No. 424,382

3 Claims. (Cl. 220-52) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in can openers and more particularly to a tear strip remover employed with vacuum sealed cans.

An important object of the invention is to provide a hand operated tool adapted for movement around the top of a can as the tear or sealing strip is removed therefrom and in which the tool is provided with a plurality of bores to rotatably support a key on which the tear strip is coiled and constructing the bores to support the keys at various vertically adjusted positions in accordance with variations in the position of the tear strip with respect to the top of the can.

Another object is to provide a tear strip winding key of novel construction to facilitate removal of the coiled strip from the key after being wound thereon.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efiicient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted forpthe purpose for which the same is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which;

Figure 1 is a perspective view;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on a line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the tool with the key removed therefrom, and;

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the key taken on a line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawing in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration we have disclosed a preferred embodiment of our invention, the numeral 5 designates a hand gripping plate which may constitute a handle for the tool and adapted for resting on top of a vacuum sealed can 6 and constructed with an arcuate or convexed edge 7 substantially conforming to the curvature of the can. A pin 8 extends downwardly at one end portion of the plate 5 to ride against the side of the can as the plate is turned circumferentially thereof.

The opposite end portion of the plate 4 is formed with an upstanding boss 9 having a plurality of vertical bores 10 therein and the upper end of each bore is formed with a counterbore 11 and with the counterbores of the respective bores varying in depth, as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing. The counterbore 11 provides an internal shoulder 12 to provide a stop with which the diametrically enlarged upper end portion 13 of a key 14 is engageable when the key is inserted downwardly in the bore 10 to support the lower end of the key at a predetermined downwardly projecting position under the plate 5.

The lower end of the key is formed with a semi-cylindrical extension 15 and a downwardly extending pin 16 parallel to the extension 15 and spaced from the flat surface of the latter to provide a slot 17 between the extension 15 and the pin 16 to receive the free end portion of a tear or sealing strip 18 with which the can 6 is equipped to wind the strip on the key. The upper end of the key 14 is provided with a crossbar 19 to form a handle to facilitate turning of the key.

In the operation of the device the plate 5 is placed on top of the can 6 and the key 14 inserted in a selected bore lit in accordance with the position of the tear or sealing strip 18 with respect to the top of the can. The free end portion of the tear or sealing strip is inserted in the slot 17 at the lower end of the key and the key is then turned to wind the strip thereon in the customary manner of removing the strip from the can.

After the strip has been completely wound on the key the key is pulled upwardly until the coiled strip strikes the underside of plate 5 to slide the strip from the key.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A tear strip remover for vacuum sealed cans comprising a hand gripping plate adapted for resting on top of a can, a plurality of vertical bores in the plate adapted to rotatably receive a key in a selected bore for winding a tear strip thereon, and stop means supporting the key at a predetermined selected vertical postion in the bore to vertically adjust the lower end of the key in a downwardly projecting position at the underside of the plate.

2. A tear strip remover for vacuum sealed cans comprising a hand gripping plate adapted for resting on top of a can, a plurality of vertical bores in the plate adapted to rotatably receive a key in a selected bore for winding a tear strip thereon, a counterbore in the upper portion of each bore and each having an internal shoulder of varying depth in the respective bores, and means carried by the key and engageable with the shoulder of a selected bore to support the lower end of the key in a vertically adjusted position at the underside of the plate.

3. A tear strip remover for vacuum sealed cans comprising an elongated plate adapted for resting on top of a can, a boss on top of the plate adjacent one end portion thereof, a plurality of vertical bores in the boss adapted for rotatably supporting a key in a selected bore, a counterbore in the upper portion of each bore and varying in depth, and means on the key and turning in the counterbore and limited by the latter in a downward inserting movement of the key to support the lower end of the key in a vertically adjusted position at the underside of the plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,759,364 Quigg May 20, 1930 2,578,379 Taylor Dec. 11, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 128,415 Great Britain June 26, 1919 600,584 Great Britain Apr. 13, 1948 

